How to correct medical students

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How do i correct a medical student during their presentation of a patient? Sometimes, they will make mistakes in labs and/or imaging, but then i feel like i make the student look bad. Some also resent that you corrected them for something during their presentation, like I usually let the minor things go, but then there are some things that are just wrong and can affect the plan...

 

[Neuronix]

I don't correct anyone. I just fix it on the back end. At my institution, feedback of the students is ignored. Feedback about the attending is taken seriously and used against them. You can't have anyone feeling bad because they didn't like that you gave them anything but a "great job!"

 

[dozitgetchahi]

How do i correct a medical student during their presentation of a patient? Sometimes, they will make mistakes in labs and/or imaging, but then i feel like i make the student look bad. Some also resent that you corrected them for something during their presentation, like I usually let the minor things go, but then there are some things that are just wrong and can affect the plan...

Personally I always hated when an overzealous attending or resident jumped in to editorialize or “add something” when I was presenting. I always let the medical student present and then add in whatever I needed to afterwards. (Plus, often times when you’re going to “add something” the student/intern/etc was about to say it anyway.)

 

[LucidSplash]

If it happens frequently, start running them through their presentations BEFORE they give them to the group to help them improve, with constructive feedback.

During, say nothing. If there are important variations which are critical to diagnosis and treatment, mention them once the presentation is done. Otherwise, smaller stuff let it be or bring it up later in a constructive fashion.

 

[DrMetal]

How do i correct a medical student during their presentation of a patient? Sometimes, they will make mistakes in labs and/or imaging, but then i feel like i make the student look bad. Some also resent that you corrected them for something during their presentation, like I usually let the minor things go, but then there are some things that are just wrong and can affect the plan...

I don't correct them at all. In fact, I tell them the truth: that the oral presentation (and the physical exam) is all a facade, completely unimportant in 21st Century medicine, where the almighty EMR (and the objective data it holds) is the master.

Your written documentation is far more important. 6 months from now when your hospital administrators are looking to fry you for some bad outcome, they're going to read and dissect your note. Nobody remembers and words that came out of your mouth.

Having said all that, the best way to give an oral presentation is: say a lot, speak fast and confidently. We're dumb enough in this profession to be convinced by someone speaking fast, loud, and confidently. Never mind their content. [present like that to a PhD physicist, you wont have such luck, she'll call you out on your BS]

 

[Neuronix]

[present like that to a PhD physicist, you wont have such luck, she'll call you out on your BS]

I have a PhD in physics as well. Here's the thing...

Yes we argued a lot in lab. You weren't getting away with BS. If you didn't make a strong effort, there was often rapid, clear, and direct feedback. You may not have agreed with the feedback, but that's what being an adult is about. Take the feedback you agree with, leave what you don't, and move on to be the best you can be.

But, what were the stakes in physics? In the worst case we were just wasting time and research money. In the best case, we were making some incremental advances.

In medicine, what are the stakes? Peoples lives. Their well-being. Their families. The stakes cannot be higher in my opinion. If anything we should be taking it more seriously than just about anything and be held to higher standards than any other profession.

 

[mvenus929]

Don't interrupt the student during their presentation. If they make a mistake like reporting the sodium was 138 and it was 139, that's clinically meaningless and I wouldn't bother correcting it. If it's a major mistake that would impact the plan of the patient, talk about it after their presentation is done.

If they start presenting the wrong patient, then gently suggest ask if they're talking about patient x or patient y once you realize it.

 

[Radetzky]

Just correct them if it’s an important mistake. I don’t see the problem. If you say something factually incorrect you get corrected. That’s life and that’s how you learn.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

How do i correct a medical student during their presentation of a patient? Sometimes, they will make mistakes in labs and/or imaging, but then i feel like i make the student look bad. Some also resent that you corrected them for something during their presentation, like I usually let the minor things go, but then there are some things that are just wrong and can affect the plan...

This is a job. This is not friendship time. People's lives are being affected through medical care. If a patient has a PE and the student says no PE, you better correct that before someone gets hurt. If the student doesn't like that, too bad for them

 

[rokshana]

You need to set expectations at the beginning of the rotation.. that it’s important that they learn how to present a pt, how to write a note , etc and here is ok if they don’t get it right the first time…here is where they will be shown what needs improvement and by the end of the rotation, they will be better than when they came in. Expect them to have feedback, during the presentations and after as well… and that it may be good or constructive…students do want feedback, but you have to actually say “ this is feedback..” they don’t understand when it’s implied.

Constructive criticism shouldn’t look punitive…it should look helpful even if it a negative statement.